Safety device for use in filling fluid-reservoirs.



a M d P R A F SAFETY DEVICE FOR USE Ill-FILLING FLUID BESERVOIBS.

(Application filed Sept. 21. 1900.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

No. 695,929. Patented Mar. 25, I902.

. J. F. HARDY. SAFETY DEVICEYFOR USE IN FILUNG FLUID. RE'SEBVOIIKS.

(Application filed Sept; 21, 1900.)

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

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STATES ATENT FFICE.

JOHN F. HARDY, OF MONTIGELLO, INDIANA.

SPECIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 695,929, dated March25, 1902.

Application filed September 21,1900. Serial No. 30,711. (No model.)

To alt whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN F. HARDY, of Monticello, in the county of\Vhite and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Safety Devices for Use in Filling Fluid-Reservoirs; andI do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings,and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part ofthis specification.

This invention relates to a novel safety device for use in fillingliquid-reservoirs, and is designed to prevent the escape ofliquid fromthe reservoir upon expansion of the liquid therein after the reservoirhas been filled. The device as herein shown is constructed to be appliedto the fount or reservoir of a hydrocarbon-burner.

It is a well-known fact that hydrocarbon liquids, such as gasolene,expand greatly in volume upon the application of heat thereto, and it isa matter of practical observation that many accidents in the handling ofhydrocarbon-burners are due to the fact that in fill ing the fount thesame are filled to such a level so that the heat of the burner whenlighted causes expansion of the liquid and forces some of the liquid outof the reservoir, which escaped liquid becomes ignited, with the resultof igniting articles about the same and in many cases causing large lossof property and life.

The object of this invention is to provide means which without attentionor volition on the part of the person filling the reservoir renders itimpossible for the reservoir to be filled so full as to permit escape ofthe liquid when the same has become expanded in the manner set forth,and thereby entirely do away with this factor of danger in the useofhydrocarhon-burners.

A device embodying my invention consists generally of a shiftable bodywhich when the reservoir is being filled is located below the highestlevel to which the reservoir can be filled and which when the reservoiris filled shifts to a higher position and is displaced by a like volumeof liquid in the reservoir, thereby lowering the general level of theliquid in the reservoir, the parts being so proportioned that the finallevel of the liquid is below the danger-point. Said shiftable body maybe a volume of air or a body of greater ponderability than air, as aweight or float.

Vhile I have illustrated in the drawings my invention as applied to thefount or reservoir of a hydrocarbon-burner, it will be apparent that thesame may be used in other connections where it is desired to prevent theescape of liquid from a reservoir after the same has been filled.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a central ver tical section of ahydrocarbon-fount provided with my invention. Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 5 aresimilar sections showing various modifications of the invention. Fig. 6is a central vertical section of a fount or reservoir, in which myimprovements are shown as having the form of a pivoted weight. Fig. 7 isa like view in which a pivoted weight is employed to actuate a valveembodying my improvements.

As shown in Fig. 1, A designates a hollow receptacle which may be madeof any form desired and is herein shown as made of convenient form foruse with a hydrocarbonburner, and B designates a pipe designed to leadfrom the reservoir to the burner. Said pipe 13 passes upwardly throughthe interior of the reservoir A and is provided inside the reservoir,near the lower end thereof, with a small opening I), through which thegasolene passes from the reservoir into the pipe. Said pipe B iscontinued upwardly through the upper wall of the reservoir andconstitutes at its upper end a hanger B, provided with a ring b, bywhich the same may be suspended from a ceiling or like place. The upperwall of said reservoir is provided with a filling nozzle 0, which isnormally closed by a plug 0. The safety device in this instance consistsof a receptacle D, which is open at one end and closed at its other end.The receptacle is fixed stationary within the reservoir with its openend directed upwardly and with the rim surrounding said open endnear thetop wall of the reservoir. In the present instance the receptacle isheld in place by means of the pipe 0, said pipe passing through theclosed end wall and fitted thereto in any suitable manner. Thereceptacle D is provided near its lower part with a small opening d,thereby providing communication between the receptacle and the reservoirat a point below the open end of said receptacle. In the use of thedevice, assuming that the reservoir A is empty, the plug 0' is removedand the oily poured into the reservoir therethrough until the reservoirand pipe E connected therewith are filled to' the highest point at whichthe reservoir may or will ordinarily be filledto wit, the lowest part ofthe nozzle 0. By reason of the fact that the liquid may be poured intothe reservoir much more rapidly than the same will be passed through theopening cl in the receptacle D there will remain in said receptacle abody of air for a short time after the reservoir has been filled to itsmaximum available capacity or to the level of the filli ng-nozzle C, itbeing obvious that said receptacle, by reason of the presence of thebody of air therein and of the construction which temporarily retardsthe passage of the liquid to said receptacle, does not at the time ofthe filling of the reservoir constitute as an entirety an available partof the reservoir for the liquid. The plug is now screwed into thenozzle, and in the short period next following the filling of thereservoir th'e air in the receptacle D will be displaced by alike volumeof the-liquid within the reservoir surrounding the receptacle until thelevel of the liquid in said reservoir and the receptacle D areequalized, the liquid passingthrough said opening 01 and the airescaping from the upper end ofthe receptacle. This operation willobviously lower the general level of the liquid within the reservoir,and the size of the receptacle D is so proportioned with respect to-thesize of the reser voir that the final level of the liquid thusreached-willbe below the danger-point.

In -Fig. 2 the construction is similar to that shown'in Fig. 1, with theexception that the receptacle E therein shown is reversed in positionfrom that illustrated in said Fig.1. In said figure the receptacle E-isprovided in its top wall with aminute orifice e. In this constructionwhen the reservoir is being filled-the air contained within thereceptacle E isdriven upwardlythrough the said orifice I e;--but byreason of the size of the orifice the 1 downwardly.

reservoinmay becompletely filled before a considerable quantity of airisdriven out of said receptacle. The displacement of the air in' saidreceptacle by theliquid iseffected in this construction after the nozzle0' has been insertedinto 'place'in the samemanner as in the constructionshown in Fig. 1. It will be observed that in this constructionthe-orifice emust be made very small, so as to prevent a too-rapidescape of the air from the receptacle E. I r

- In Fig. 3 is shown a receptacle F, which is pivoted near one endthereof to a support B, connected with the pipe C. Said receptacle isopen at one end and closed at its other and is designed when thereservoir is empty to hang in a verticalposition, as-indicated in dottedlines in saidiFig. 3, withits open end If found desirable, thereceptacle F may be retained in its depending position by theapplication of a suitable spring. (Not shown.) With this constructionwhen the reservoir is filled the body of air within said receptacle F isnot displaced by the liquid, but remains therein and will not bedisplaced until the receptacle assumes a horizontal or substantiallyhorizontal position. As a means of effecting the displacement of the airby the liquid within the reservoir I provide the plug 0 of thefilling-nozzle O with a pin 0 which is adapted to strike the receptacleF in such manner as to tilt the same to a hori zontal position, as shownin full lines in Fig. 3, and in which position the body of air willescape from the receptacle and be displaced by a like volume of theliquid, which, as it will be obvious, will reduce the general level ofthe liquid in the reservoir, as in the constructions above described.

In Fig. 4. is shown a modification of the construction shown, in Fig. 2,the construction being different from that shown in Fig. 2 only in thefact that the orifice of the receptacle is closed by apositively-actuated valve, which valve is opened at the time the plug isinserted into the filling-nozzle. As shown in said figure, G designatesa downwardly-opening receptacle, which is provided in its closed endwall with an orifice g. Said orifice is designed to'be normally closedby-a valve 9, which is fixed to the end of and is held normally to itsseat by means of a spring G- and is designed to be moved away from itsseat against the action of said spring by a pin C on the plug 0'. In theuse of this device when the reservoir is being filled the plugwill ofcourse be removed and the aperture 9 will be closed by thespring-pressed valve and will be held closed until after the reservoiris filled to the highest point and the plug inserted into place. 'Upontheinsertion of the plug into the nozzle the pin (l -thereof will bearagainst the valve and openthe same, and

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thereby permit the displacement of the-air within the receptacle G by alike volume-of liquid within the reservoir and lower the general levelof said liquid.

The construction shown in Fig. 5 is similar to the construction show-nin Fig. 4, with the exception that it is appliedto an upwardly-openingreceptacle H, similar to that shown in Fig. 1, instead of adownwardlyopening receptacle. In this construction the receptacle H isprovided in its lower wall It is obvious that the valves shown in Figs.I

4-and 5 may be held closed by means of a weight instead of a spring.Such a construction is shown in Fig. 7, wherein the arm H on which thevalve 71 is mounted, is pivoted to the casing II and is provided at oneend with a weight H adapted to hold the valve closed, the opposite endof said arm being adapted for engagement by the pin 0 of theclosing-plug when the plug is in position to hold the said valve openagainst the action of the weight. It will be furthermore obvious thatthe object for which the several constructions illustrated are designedmay be effected in many different ways from that herein illustrated. Forinstance, the body which is adapted to be displaced by the liq uid tolower the level of the liquid in the receptacle may consist of a pivotedweight or float in the reservoirsuch, for instance, as is shown in Fig.6, wherein I designates a Weight pivoted to the discharge-pipeB of thereservoir and provided with a rearward extension or tailpiece 1, adaptedfor engagement by the pin 0 attached to the fillingnozzle plug in suchmanner that the weight will be held upwardly out of the fluid when thefilling-plug'is in place, but when the filling-plugis removed ispermitted to drop downwardly, as indicated in dotted lines in said Fig.6. The reservoiris filled while the weight is in its downward position,and when the weight is thrown upwardly in the position indicated in fulllines it will be obvious that the level of the liquid in the reservoirwill be lowered to an extent corresponding to the volume of the weightsubmerged.

The main or principal advantage of my invention is that theeffectiveness of its operation is not dependent upon the will or V0-lition of the person filling the reservoir, so that its object cannot bedefeated by forgetfulness or inattention on the part of such'person. Thefactor of danger in this respect may therefore be entirely removed withthe addition of little cost to the device and with no extra attention onthe part of the person using the same. i

The several forms in which my invention is shown embodied in thedrawings are merely instances of a number of different ways in which myinvention may be applied and are not to be treated as limiting theinvention only to the forms or embodiments so shown. It will beunderstood, on the otherhand, that the invention may be embodied invarious other forms of devices and is limited to the forms illustratedonly as such forms are here in made the subject of specific claims.

It is obvious that the operation of both forms of the device.to wit,that shown in Figs. 1 and 2 and that shown in Figs. 3 to 7,inclusive-are automatic in actionthat is to say, no act is requiredonthe part of' the person replenishing the reservoir to effect the resultsought beyond that required for completing the replenishment of anordinary reservoir and putting the same in condition for use. It is tobe understood, therefore, that the term automatic, as herein used, isintended to cover any means or mechanism which is actuated or set inmotion by any or all the usual or required operations which arenecessary to complete the replenishment of a reservoir. If necessary,for instance, to provide such reservoir with a cover or closure in itsordinary use, said term may include any means or mechanism set inoperation by the usual act of closing the reservoir.

I claim as my invention 1. A fluid safety-reservoir provided with meansfor retaining therein a shiftable body with its principal part'below thehighest level to which the reservoir may be filled, at the time thereservoir is being filled, and which, at the time the reservoir isfilled, has its principal part located below the level of the fluid, theparts being arranged to permit the reservoir to be filled to its maximumavailable capacity at the time of such filling, and said body thereaftershifting upwardly and having its principal part emerged from the body ofthe fluid to permit the general level of the fluid in the reservoir tobe lowered.

2. A fluid-reservoir provided with mean for retaining therein ashiftable body with its principal part below the highest level to whichthe reservoir may be.filled, at the time the reservoir is being filled,and which, attthe time the reservoir is filled, has its principal partlocated below the level of the fluid, and means causing said body tothereafter automatically shift upwardly, with its principal part emergedfrom the body of the fluid to permit the general .level of the fluid inthe reservoir to be lowered.

3. The combination with a fluid-reservoir and a discharge-pipeleadingtherefrom, of means acting to limit the supply of. fluid-to thereservoir during the replenishmentthereof, and constructed toautomatically lower the level of the fluid within the reservoir afterthe replenishment thereof.

4. A fluid-reservoirprovidedwith a discharge-passage and with means forautomatically'lowering the level of the fluid in the reservoir after thereservoir has been filled, while retaining the entire volume of thefluid within the reservoir.

5. A fluid-reservoir provided with a discharge-passage, a chambercontaining a-body of airand means affording communication between saidreservoir andchamber, said'body of air being located above saidcommunicating means, and said means being constructed to temporarilyretardthe entrance of ifluid to the said air-chamber while the reservoiris being filled, and after such filling permitting a portion of saidfluid to enter said chamber to thereby displace a quantity of said bodyof air whereby the general level of the fluid in said reservoir islowered.

6. A fluid-reservoir provided with a discharge-passage, a chambercontaining a body of air, said discharge-passage being ind epend ent ofsaid chamber, and means affording communication between said reservoirand chamber, said means being constructed to temporarily retard entranceof fluid to said air-chamber while the reservoir is being filled andafter said filling permitting a portion of such fluid to enter saidchamber to thereby displace a quantity of the said body of air, wherebythe general level of the fluid in said reservoir is lowered.

7. A fluid-reservoir provided with a discharge-passage and communicatingwith a chamber which is constructed to retain therein a body of airabove the level of the discharge-opening of the reservoir, when thereservoir is being filled, and means automatically causing the body ofair to be thereafter displaced by a like volume of fluid from thereservoir to lower the general level of the fluid within the reservoir.

8. A fluid-reservoir communicating with a chamber which is constructedto retain therein a body of air above the discharge-orifice of thereservoir, at the time the reservoir is bein g filled, and provided witha discharge-passage independent of said chamber adapted to communicatedirectly with a burner, and means automatically causing the body of airto be thereafter displaced by a like volume of fluid from the reservoirto lower the general level of the-fluid in the reservoir.

9. A fluid-reservoir communicating with a chamber having its principalpart located below the highest level to which the reservoir may befilled, and above the level of the discharge-orifice of the reservoir,and means automatically causing a body of air in said chamber tobe'thereafter displaced by a like volume of fluid from the reservoir.

10. A fluid-reservoir communicating with a chamber which is constructedto retain therein a body of air during the time the reservoir is beingreplenished and automatic means thereafter effecting an interchange ofthe air and fluid, whereby the general level of the fluid in thereservoir is lowered.

11. The combination with a fluid-reservoir, of a chamber having itsprincipal part located below the highest level to which the reservoirmay be filled, said chamber being provided at its top and bottom withopenings through which it communicates with the reservoir,

one of said openings being made of such size relative to the size of thefilling-opening of the reservoir and to the capacity of the chamber,that the filling of the chamber is appreciably retarded as compared withthe flow of fluid to the reservoir.

12. The combination with afluid-reservoir, of a chamber therein whichhas an opening at its top located above the highest level to which thereservoir may be filled and provided in its bottom with an openingthrough which it communicates with the reservoir, said lastmentionedopening being made of such size relative to the size of thefilling-orifice of the reservoir and the capacity of the chamber thatthe filling of the chamber by the entrance of fluid through the openingis appreciably retarded as compared to the flow of fluid to thereservoir.

13. The combination with a fluid-reservoir, of a discharge-pipe passingupwardly therethrough andmeans supported on said pipe Within thereservoir acting to limit the supply of fluid to the reservoir duringthe period of replenishment thereof, and construct-ed to bring the finallevel of the fluid in the reservoir a distance below the filling-orificethereof.

14:. The combination with a fluid-reservoir,

of a feed-pipe passing upwardly therethrough and provided inside thereservoir with an orifice through which the fluid is discharged from thereservoir, and a casing supported on said pipe which has communicationwith the reservoir through an opening of such size relative to the sizeof the filling-orifice of the reservoir and the capacity of the chamberthat the filling of the chamber by the entrance of fluid through theopening is appreciably retarded as compared with the flow of fluid tothe reservoir and said chamber being provided also with anotheropeninglocated above the highest level to which the reservoir may befilled.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my invention I affix mysignature, in presence of two witnesses, this 19th day of September, A.D. 1900.

JOHN F. HARDY.

Witnesses:

WILLIAM A. HALL, THOMAS J. GRAYnoN.

